GOP Considers Canceling Recess To Pass Agendas

More and more Republican lawmakers are considering canceling their month-long August recess so they can continue pushing their agendas through Congress.

“Congress has no business taking a recess when the people’s business remains unfinished,” Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines told The Hill Monday.

Daines is one of many Republicans who want to stay and make sure the American people know their elected officials are actually doing work.

“I think it’s really important that people understand that Congress is working. We are producing a lot of legislation,” Oklahoma Republican Rep. Tom Cole told The Hill.

Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan is also on board saying to The Hill, “I think absolutely we should truncate or cancel recess. We have a huge agenda. I think we can get a lot of it done, but what we don’t have is time. We can make more time.”

Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus were the first to call for the cancelation of the August recess. They issued a statement on June 6 asking for House Speaker Paul Ryan to keep the chamber open and running through Labor Day.

The White House seems to like the idea as well, White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney told reporters Thursday that he also supports Congress staying in session through part of August.

The Republicans’ main focuses are currently tax reform and and healthcare. If lawmakers don’t pass a budget resolution before September 30th, however, there would be a government shutdown.

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